digital foundry – VG247http://www.vg247.com
VG247.comFri, 09 Dec 2016 15:12:40 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3Advanced Warfare delivers more consistent 60FPS on Xbox One than PS4 – reporthttp://www.vg247.com/2014/11/04/advanced-warfare-delivers-more-consistent-60fps-on-xbox-one-than-ps4-report/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/11/04/advanced-warfare-delivers-more-consistent-60fps-on-xbox-one-than-ps4-report/#respondTue, 04 Nov 2014 10:38:01 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=499034Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare is a solid technical achievement on both of the new consoles. However, when it comes to frame-rate, the game does a better job on the less powerful console, surprisingly.

Advanced Warfare is the subject of the latest Digital Foundry analysis. The guys did an early analysis of both the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 versions. They had a detailed look into the first three campaign levels on both consoles. The results were a bit surprising.

As you already know, the Xbox One version runs at 1360×1080. This resolution dynamically scales up to 1080p when the screen is not busy with effects and NPCs, and scales back down when things get frenetic.

“In the main, asset quality is identical between the two platforms. From the handling of shadow rendering to texture detail, there’s little to distinguish the Xbox One release from the PS4. But based on the first three campaign levels we’ve analysed in-depth, the larger disparity is in performance rather than in-game visuals,” the report reads.

“With patch version 1.04 installed, the PS4 version’s constant 1080p output comes at a price. We catch dips between the 50-60fps lines during battles through Seoul’s streets – with drops to the high 40s caught when throwing the ‘threat’ grenades to scan the area for enemies. Even in perfectly matched scenes, the Xbox One’s performance tends to hold at a perfect 60fps by comparison.

“The only concession on Microsoft’s platform, besides its variable resolution, is the use of adaptive v-sync. In practice, this causes frames to tear during spikes in concurrent alpha effects, or scenes involving multiple allies on-screen. While very rare, this helps the platform avoid any delay in getting the next frame on screen, in cases where the hardware’s resources are unexpectedly pressed. By comparison, the PS4’s approach is to engage v-sync permanently, waiting until the next frame is rendered in its entirety, causing a touch more stutter.”

There is also a video below highlighting said frame-rate drops. Make sure you set it to 720p or higher if you’re watching using Chrome, for the full 60fps playback.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/11/04/advanced-warfare-delivers-more-consistent-60fps-on-xbox-one-than-ps4-report/feed/0Minor polish issues in Mario Kart 8 shouldn’t deter you, says Digital Foundryhttp://www.vg247.com/2014/05/24/mario-kart-8-digital-foundry-review/
http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/24/mario-kart-8-digital-foundry-review/#respondSat, 24 May 2014 15:06:24 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=474501Mario Kart 8 has been given the Digital Foundry treatment, and while John noticed a few “minor polish issues,” it shouldn’t deter you from picking up the Nintendo racer.

According to the analysis, the game is lovely with “phenomenal attention to detail,” but at the same time it doesn’t compare to the “impossibly high level of polish” fans expect from Nintendo on Wii U.

Rumors of the game’s 1080p presentation proved to be false, according to the report, as it runs at Wii U’s standard 1280×720. However, anti-aliasing “in any form” was omitted.

“We’re left with a heavily aliased presentation filled with obvious stair-stepping and pixel-crawling artifacts throughout most scenes,” reads the report. “Busier areas can even result in a loss of detail to the point of reducing visibility.

“Thankfully, the lackluster image quality does little to spoil an otherwise magnificent visual package. It’s immediately apparent that a lot of effort is invested in creating rich, vibrant courses loaded with peripheral detail. Tracks are alive and bursting with color and animation backed by an overhauled lighting solution and a smattering of excellent texture-work.”

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2014/05/24/mario-kart-8-digital-foundry-review/feed/0Xbox One was designed to have the power turned on for 10 years – reporthttp://www.vg247.com/2013/07/31/xbox-one-was-designed-to-have-the-power-turned-on-for-10-years-report/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/31/xbox-one-was-designed-to-have-the-power-turned-on-for-10-years-report/#commentsWed, 31 Jul 2013 14:27:26 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=393721Xbox One was designed to have the power turned on for 10 years, according to the latest Digital Foundry report, which doesn’t state how much your electric bill would go up should you decide to leave the thing running for that long of a period.

All joking aside, the report states that Microsoft’s priority with the hardware was to create something with total reliability: in other words, it is able to stay turned on for the entirety of Microsoft’s planned 10-year lifecycle.

The console is also large and the reason for such a relatively large machine is so it will supposedly be “near-silent” with more heat dispersion.

Hopefully, this means that when the fan goes off it won’t sound like a jet engine like my Xbox 360 does, apparently.

According to the report, Microsoft will provide more information on the console’s benefits during its gamescom conference: a source told Eurogamer that the “message about instant access never got across,” regarding games and it plans to rectify this next month in Cologne.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/31/xbox-one-was-designed-to-have-the-power-turned-on-for-10-years-report/feed/28PS4 contains 5.5GB of RAM for developers – Sony clarifieshttp://www.vg247.com/2013/07/26/ps4-has-up-to-5-5gb-of-ram-for-developers-4-5gb-guaranteed-1gb-of-flexible-memory/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/26/ps4-has-up-to-5-5gb-of-ram-for-developers-4-5gb-guaranteed-1gb-of-flexible-memory/#commentsFri, 26 Jul 2013 16:45:06 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=392483Digital Foundry has been handed an internal PS4 document by a “well-placed development source,” which states the system reserves 3.5GB of its 8GB GDDR5 memory for the operating system, which would leave around 4.5GB of space for game code. Other sources have told EG that an additional 1GB of “flexible memory” is reclaimable from the OS reservation. Sony has issued a statement on these claims as well.

Comment from Sony

“We would like to clear up a misunderstanding regarding our “direct” and “flexible” memory systems,” the firm said to Eurogamer in a statement. “The article states that “flexible” memory is borrowed from the OS, and must be returned when requested – that’s not actually the case.

“The actual true distinction is that:

“Direct Memory” is memory allocated under the traditional video game model, so the game controls all aspects of its allocation –

“Flexible Memory” is memory managed by the PS4 OS on the game’s behalf, and allows games to use some very nice FreeBSD virtual memory functionality. However this memory is 100% the game’s memory, and is never used by the OS, and as it is the game’s memory it should be easy for every developer to use it.

“We have no comment to make on the amount of memory reserved by the system or what it is used for.”

So, basically now it means that: 4.5GB of conventional RAM is available to developers plus the OS-controlled flexible memory; there’s a 1GB virtual address space, split into two areas – 512MB of on-chip RAM is used (the physical area) and another 512MB is “paged” but 5GB of it is available to developers.

“The good news is that the amount is static and not dictated by OS functions as we stated in our original post, making it a lot easier for developers to work with,” said Digital Foundry.

My head hurts no less after that than it did yesterday.

Original story

I know nothing when it comes to specs. I know how much space is left on my PC hard drive because I can see the numbers. That’s it. In short, if I try to discuss anything technological I will come off as an idiot (shocking!) so I will just leave the main bits from the EG article below and not try to analyze anything for you. Plus, it might make me cry to try.

According to the report, Sony’s internal documents state 4.5GB is “the baseline amount of guaranteed memory available for game-makers and most likely what the lion’s share of launch titles will be using.”

However, other sources close to the console maker state developers can “request up to an additional gigabyte of “flexible memory”, and use it to boost elements of the game – but only if the background OS can spare it.”

Such a request isn’t “trivial,” and at the start it will probably only be made available to first-party developers.

The normal mode setting for devkits shows 4.5GB of memory is usable, and the large mode increases this to 5.25GB – but the extra RAM here is “only available for application development.”

Yeah. My brain hurts already, so for the full thing and how this compares to Xbox One and what it means for you – as a gamer – head on through the link for the full thing.

Both consoles are out sometime in November.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/07/26/ps4-has-up-to-5-5gb-of-ram-for-developers-4-5gb-guaranteed-1gb-of-flexible-memory/feed/163Killzone: Shadow Fall demo runs at 30FPS, Digital Foundry tests suggesthttp://www.vg247.com/2013/02/25/killzone-shadow-fall-demo-runs-at-30fps-digital-foundry-tests-suggest/
http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/25/killzone-shadow-fall-demo-runs-at-30fps-digital-foundry-tests-suggest/#commentsMon, 25 Feb 2013 11:37:22 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=343378Killzone: Shadows Fall received a gameplay demo last week as part of Sony’s PS4 reveal. Tech wizards Digital Foundry has determined that the footage was running at 30 FPS and suggests that it will be the industry standard going in to the next generation.

Now I’ll be honest. I know dick-all about technicalities such as frame rates and what-not, so you can check out the full Digital Foundry report over on Eurogamer.

However, I do know that the group’s frame rate test saw the 1080p version of Sony’s Killzone: Shadow Fall footage remain constant at 30 FPS. Here’s the evidence:

Digital Foundry also offered the following, “30FPS is the target for Killzone: Shadow Fall, and we don’t detect a single dip in performance from this based on the uploaded gameplay feed – a fact mirrored in the 1080p trailer we also have available. It’s fair to assume that 30FPS remains the console standard for next-gen.”

I’m backing out now before I start writing about things I don’t understand. But what do you make of the above? Should developers be aiming for 60 FPS as a benchmark in next-gen consoles? Let us know below.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2013/02/25/killzone-shadow-fall-demo-runs-at-30fps-digital-foundry-tests-suggest/feed/41Wii U: PAL backwards compatibility doesn’t upscale to HDhttp://www.vg247.com/2012/12/05/wii-u-pal-backwards-compatibility-doesnt-upscale-to-hd/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/12/05/wii-u-pal-backwards-compatibility-doesnt-upscale-to-hd/#commentsWed, 05 Dec 2012 13:12:54 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=321341Wii U backwards compatibility functions have been thoroughly tested by the boffins at Digital Foundry. While the site champions Nintendo’s handling of classic Wii games, it has found that while NTSC titles upscale to HD resolution, PAL games will not. Get their findings below.

As part of a detailed analysis into the matter on Eurogamer, Digital Foundry reports that when playing original Wii games, the Wii U console will revert to Wii mode, complete with classic menus and options.

However, the site explained, “Important AV options are omitted from the Wii menu, with the PAL console unable to upscale to HD resolutions or run in progressive scan over component – an issue that doesn’t seem to impact NTSC hardware.”

The report added, “The results are intriguing. On a PAL unit, where 480p and PAL60 were supported in the original games, Wii U automatically opts for this set-up on HDMI – whether the user wants it or not.

“While we think it’s a logical way to proceed, the fact is that some Wii gamers prefer to utilise 576i. PAL-optimised titles may take a hit to frame-rate, but they make up for it with around 17 per cent more resolution.

“What is clear is that the choices users had on their older hardware have been taken away from them on Wii U when there’s absolutely no reason that the software couldn’t have been designed to keep everyone happy.”

So it seems that PAL games are being locked into a particular resolution, regardless of options available within the original title. The report also discusses the long and drawn out process of transferring data over from your original Wii to Wii U.

“Other back-compat issues surface when dealing with the Virtual Console. For starters, transferring purchases across from the Wii to the Wii U is a bizarrely involved procedure.

“The process involves downloading the transfer tool on both your Wii U and the old Wii. You then have to prepare the SD card (with at least 512MB of space on it) on the Wii U and then insert it into the old console. The transfer tool then copies all of your data (Miis, purchase history, downloads, save games) to the SD card.

“You then have to put it back in the Wii U and copy all of the data back over. Weirdly, you need to have internet access in order to complete the process.

“One of our colleagues was hugely frustrated by always failing at the last stage of this drawn-out operation, with the Wii U itself offering no explanation whatsoever for what the issue may have been, and network issues turned out to be the problem.

“Also a little irritating is that despite shipping a console with 32GB of flash, onboard Wii storage limits are the same palty 512MB we had to put up with on the original hardware.”

Sounds like a nightmare doesn’t it? Have you dabbled in either of these issues? Let us know what you think below.

]]>http://www.vg247.com/2012/12/05/wii-u-pal-backwards-compatibility-doesnt-upscale-to-hd/feed/27Digital Foundry: Mass Effect 3 framerate better on 360 than PS3http://www.vg247.com/2012/03/08/digital-foundry-mass-effect-3-framerate-better-on-360-than-ps3/
http://www.vg247.com/2012/03/08/digital-foundry-mass-effect-3-framerate-better-on-360-than-ps3/#commentsThu, 08 Mar 2012 10:07:32 +0000http://www.vg247.com/?p=240639Digital Foundry’s reporting that framerate for final code of Mass Effect 3 on 360 is better than its PS3 counterpart, with issues surrounding the latter similar to what they were in the demo.

DF says the PS3 version is capped at 30FPS, but does drop to 20FPS when playing outdoor areas.

It added the 360 version was “better optimised,” going further to say that, while it was “liable” in dips, it isn’t quite as much as it does on PS3.

The finale in the BioWare space opera launches tomorrow on PS3, 360 and PC in the UK and Europe.

Digital Foundry‘s pulled the Halo: Reach beta to bits on a technical level.

The tech specialist’s analysis shows the game runs with 720 progressive lines of resolution. However, the horizontal resolution is slightly cut down, giving native rendering at 1152×720.

Frame-rate runs at a steady 30fps, only occasionally dipping below.

There’s occasional screen tear and “some odd form of 2x temporal anti-aliasing,” which results in images being blurred together and some objects on-screen not always appearing as solid as they might.

Overall, though, the site seems quite impressed by the multiplayer test, saying that “it’s clear to see that in just about every regard Halo: Reach has seen substantial tech upgrades compared to the old Halo 3 engine.”

Halo Reach is due for release, exclusively to Xbox 360, later this year. The beta starts tomorrow.

“The rumours are true. Final Fantasy XIII on Xbox 360 isn’t anywhere near as impressive as it is on PlayStation 3. The real kicker is that it’s a lot worse than it should have been.

“Square Enix’s latest epic – 4.5 years in the making – follows on the basic principles established by all of its PlayStation predecessors in combining an excellent 3D engine along with vast amounts of pre-rendered CG. This presented two very difficult issues for the developers tasked with porting an already mature PS3 work-in-progress over to the Xbox 360.

The article further adds at the end:

“So, occasionally fine, sometimes grim: a statement that effectively sums up how much of Final Fantasy XIII looks on Xbox 360 when compared to the PlayStation 3 game, meaning that if you own both consoles, there really is only one choice when it comes to the purchasing decision.”

Ouch. Loads more on it through the link.

Final Fantasy XIII is out on Tuesday in a US/EU sim-ship for PS3 and 360. Reviews are starting to flood in: get them here.

Looks like Assassin’s Creed II has been given the Digital Foundry treatment with the latest Face-Off between the 360 and PS3 versions of the game.

Here’s the final analysis:

“It’s fair to say that while Assassin’s Creed II has a number of important advantages on Xbox 360, the crucial thing is that the improvements to the PS3 engine are such that the performance deficit isn’t going to get in the way of having a great time.

“It’s an essential game on both platforms, but if you’ve got both consoles, the 360 version is clearly the more solid performer.”

You can read the full thing through here, and check out the video here.

Digital Foundry has given Modern Warfare 2 the Face-Off treatment and says that while there are numerous comparison shots between both console versions, its has been noted that the “color balance is quite patently wrong”.

According to the post:

“Basic settings don’t cut it with Modern Warfare 2. You really need to spend some time setting up the game to play nicely with your screen… or indeed your capture kit. Usual form within any Digital Foundry Face-Off is simply to run the game at default settings and let the chips fall as they may – the assumption being that the default is equivalent to the color settings within the console’s framebuffer, or at the very least what the developer calibrates the output to. However, keeping the default settings is really not a particularly good idea within Modern Warfare 2 and we’re also not sure how effective Infinity Ward’s calibration method is for the end user is either.

“Bottom line: if you’re an Xbox 360 owner, you should be making the image brighter, and if you’re playing on PS3, it’s really a massively good idea to lower the brightness level significantly, otherwise the lighting – one of the really impressive things in this game – simply won’t look as good as it should. Many people online are discussing the PS3’s washed-out image, or talking about a “gray filter”. In truth, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s simply a case of tweaking your settings.”

There’s tons more, and you’ll want to read it and see the differences for yourself, so we’ll shut up now and leave you to it.

The Digital Foundry founder is a games editorial veteran, having worked on CVG, Mean Machines and many other UK games brands.

“Digital Foundry’s embedded presence on Eurogamer is a brilliant opportunity to exploit everything I’ve learned from 19 years working in the games business,” said Leadbetter.

Gratz, etc. PR after the break.

Veteran games journalist joins Eurogamer team

Press Release

Brighton, England, 9th September 2009: Eurogamer is pleased to announce that Richard Leadbetter has joined the company as Technology Editor, heading up the site’s Digital Foundry channel.

With almost 20 years experience, Richard is one of the industry’s original games journalists. Starting in 1990 on Computer and Video Games, he also worked on Mean Machines. More recently he launched Digital Foundry, a DVD video production facility that swiftly moved on to providing state-of-the-art high definition video equipment to the games business.

“Digital Foundry’s embedded presence on Eurogamer is a brilliant opportunity to exploit everything I’ve learned from 19 years working in the games business,” said Leadbetter. “The knowledge and tools developed by my HD video company, combined with my background in journalism, gives me a unique insight into the ways games and technology perform, and Eurogamer is the natural home for the work I love producing.”

“The Digital Foundry channel is already renowned for its expert analysis of the technology behind videogames,” said Tom Bramwell, editor of Eurogamer. “Making Richard a permanent member of the team was a logical next step, and Eurogamer readers will be excited to see where he plans to take the channel in the near future.”

Eurogamer recently celebrated its 10th birthday and is looking forward to hosting the second Eurogamer Expo next month.

My response to that is pretty straightforward. First of all, PS3 Ghostbusters is rendering 518,400 pixels per frame. Xbox 360 is managing 921,600, so there’s some interesting mathematics going on in that statement. Secondly, if quincunx anti-aliasing is compromising your image quality to this degree, why not try another solution? With regards the RAM situation, it’s a well-known limitation that the vast majority of cross-platform developers have (thankfully) managed to overcome.

The admission that 25 per cent of the texture work in Ghostbusters is compromised on PS3 is very telling. More than that, the notion that somehow we’re not allowed to compare the two versions without downscaling the higher resolution one is frankly astonishing. How many people out there have 540p displays? Perhaps we should we be sitting further away from the screen to make the two games look the same? Terminal Reality’s response, rather like the PS3 build itself, simply isn’t good enough.

The tech site, run by long-standing games industry media chap Richard Leadbetter, focuses on console technology and video-related coverage.

“It’s been a long time coming, but finally the Digital Foundry tech blog has been humanely re-homed and is ready to resume full service,” said Leadbetter.

“For those new to the site, our aims are remarkably straightforward – to go beyond the gameplay, telling you how games work, what makes them tick, and of course, crucially, what levels of performance you can expect from them.”

Rich over at Digital Foundry sent word that he’s given New Xbox Experience the proverbial seeing to, posting seven HD movies on various aspects of the new 360 UI and a ton of detailed loading time stats to show where you’re going to benefit most from installing games to the hard drive.

The loading stats are:

Hit the link for all the videos and a bunch of tech shit. It’s got most of the stuff you want to know, probably.